Salif Keita - Celebrating "50 - 70" this summer

Two weeks ago I came across recordings of Salif Keita's concert at this year's Womad Festival, unfortunately the BBC broadcasted only two tracks. So I started searching for more of Salif's supposedly goodbye tour "Celebrating 50 - 70", for 50 years being a musician together with his 70th birthday [on Aug.25].

Salif Keita 50-70 - 2019.Jul.27 at Womad Festival - source: gettyimages

I know that Salif is pretty flexible celebrating the date of his birthday, as in 2009.July I enjoyed a concert of him during which he celebrated his 60th birthday. Fantastic concert by a great band at a marvelous location, the old square on the castle hill in Veszprem, Hungary. So that's why, even some weeks later, I dedicate this post to Salif's 50 years of being a musician and his 70th birthday!
My search for more recordings of this tour was successful, I found Salif's concert at the La Mar de Músicas Festival in Cartagena, Spain, originally broadcasted live by RTVE Radio 3.
Even better at the Festival Salif received the 2019 Festival Award for his whole carreer and his activities to help make our world a better place. After receiving the award from Lucy Duran [!], Salif started with a short acoustic set, followed by concert with his whole band.

Listen to Salif performing "Tassi" on acoustic guitar at La Mar de Músicas:



SALIF KEITA - 2019.Jul.27 at Womad UK BBC

setlist: intro at Womad / 1.M'Bemba / 2.Laban / outro radio
bonus: Road Trip to Mali - by Paul Chandler
bc.2019.Aug.02, BBC Radio3 Music Planet with Lopa Kothari

SALIF KEITA - 2019.Jul.22 at La Mar de Musicas Spain RTVE

part 0: award speeches in Spanish and Lucy Duran speech
part I [acoustic]: 1.Tassi / 2.Gaffou //
part II [with band]: 3.Mama / 4.M'Bemba / 5.Tonton / 6.Yamore / 7.Laban / 8.Mandjou by Mamadou Diabate / 9.M'Bife / 10.Were Were / 11.Tekere / 12.Madan / 13.Salif acapella [cut]
bc.2019.Jul.22 live on RTVE Radio 3 Spain

line-up: Salif Keita (vocals, guitar), Cisse Abou (sequencer), Aminata Dante and Bah Kouyate (backing vocals and dance), Molobaly Kone (percussion), Mory Kante Djessou (guitar), Mamadou Diabate (kora), Oumarou Diarra (drums), Modibo Sissoko (bass) and Soumah Mohamed Lamine and Adonaide Bohui (keyboards)



Salif Keita 2019.Jul.22 solo at La Mar de Músicas Festival in Cartagena, Spain
source: efe.com / Marcial Guillén

Links to more Salif Keita for your enjoyment:

• for his discography the best place is at radioafrica by Graeme Counsel
• Salif Keita - Janjon (1975, scene from film "Den Muso") - youtube
  with balafon by Keletigui Diabate - see mandebala.net
• Salif Keita - 2019.Jan.28 Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris ARTE - arte.tv and youtube
• Salif Keita - 2019.May.05 Vrije Geluiden VPRO.NL [incl.great interview starting at 18:25min!]
  individual tracks at youtube: Yamore / Tassi / Awa (Gaffou)
• Salif Keita 2019.Jul.22 at La Mar de Musicas - short video report at rtve.es

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

Pap Djah's last words before left on his own in the Sahara desert (in Niger)